DEUX SUPERBES PASSIFLORES RUSTIQUES AUX DÉLICIEUX FRUITS COMESTIBLES (jardiner ça fait du bien N°43)

NewsJardinTV is pleased to present episode 43 of "Gardening Feels Good!", the "little family show" hosted by our editor-in-chief Patrick Mioulane and filmed by "The Little Gardener," Nicole. Today's episode was filmed in the greenhouses of Pépinières Travers in Saint-Cyr-en-Val, near Orléans. This company, specializing in the production of climbing plants, has just introduced two varieties of hardy (frost-resistant) passionflowers to its range, boasting magnificent flowers and edible fruit: the Cooltropics passionflowers. Daphnée Travers, the group's managing director, presents these spectacular new varieties. These hybrids were developed from Passiflora incarnata (the common passionflower) by Swiss breeders who sought maximum hardiness, as these plants are said to withstand temperatures as low as -20°C. After several crossbreedings, they produced plants with large, flavorful fruit. Cooltropics passionflowers are somewhat unusual because they behave like herbaceous perennials. The above-ground parts wither in late autumn and are killed by the first frosts, but the rootstock survives without needing any protection. Each spring, it produces new stems from its base. Growth begins rather late (early May), but is vigorous and rapid (stems 2 to 4 meters long in a single season) as long as the plant receives a sunny location. Like all passionflowers, Cooltropics ‘Eia Poppeia’ (purple flower) and ‘Snowstar’ (white flower) develop twining stems equipped with tendrils. They therefore cling on their own (no need for training) as long as they have a support (wire mesh, trellis, arch, column, wire, hedge, etc.). Cooltropics passionflowers thrive in pots, provided the container is of a comfortable size (50 x 50 cm or larger), as the root system increases year after year, becoming the plant's lifeblood. Because growth begins late, flowering doesn't occur until early July. Each flower is ephemeral (lasting about 24 hours), but the plant continues to produce flowers until the first frosts, with a bud forming at each node (in the axil of a leaf and a tendril) along the entire stem. The first fruits ripen at the end of September, and harvesting continues until the end of November. Ripeness is indicated by a partial yellowing of the skin, the weight of the pulp, and the fact that the fruit detaches easily from the plant. To obtain fruit, it is essential to have both varieties or a blue passionflower (Passiflora caerulea) nearby, as Cooltropics passionflowers are not self-fertile. They are classified as allogamous, meaning they cannot be pollinated by their own pollen. It is very important not to remove the withered flowers from the plant because if they have been pollinated, their ovary will gradually swell to form the fruit. The sweet and tangy taste of Cooltropics passionflower fruit is similar to that of commercially available passion fruit, also called maracuja or granadilla, most of which come from Passiflora edulis. The aril (the pulp surrounding the seeds) is rich in juice and very fragrant. This is not the case with the blue passionflower (the most commonly cultivated in France), whose orange-yellow fruit is edible but not particularly flavorful, as the bright red aril is not fleshy. If you are growing Cooltropics passionflowers in pots, provide them with a rich, loose, airy, and well-draining potting mix. Given the plant's rapid growth, fertilize it regularly once a month until November with a liquid fertilizer. No care is required during the winter months. When planted in the ground, give the plant the brightest possible location and place it in soil that is not too compacted and where moisture does not stagnate in winter (heavy clay soils are not recommended). Passionflowers are quite drought-tolerant; watering will only be necessary for young plants and during periods of extreme heat. To conclude her presentation, Daphné demonstrates how to manually pollinate a passionflower, a technique that can be very useful in regions where pollinating insects are scarce. You will need a pair of scissors and tweezers. Choose a fully open flower rich in pollen, cut an anther (the tip of the stamen) with the scissors, and holding it with the tweezers, rub the pollen onto the stigma (the tip of the pistil). That's all there is to it! Cooltropics passionflowers, as well as 650 other varieties of climbing plants, are available on the website: www.clematite.net